1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device which can be driven by a motor to load a memory cartridge into a main body of an apparatus for using the memory cartridge and unload the memory cartridge from the main body of the apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, attention has been given to a memory cartridge as an external memory means for use in electronic equipment. As the memory cartridge of this type, there is available an IC card or a memory card, for example. Such memory cartridge comprises a card-like box and a semiconductor memory (EPROM, SRAM or the like), a microcomputer, a back-up battery and the like, all of which are stored in the card-like box. Also, for access to the semiconductor memory and the like, there are arranged a large number of terminals which can be connected to connectors disposed in the electronic equipment. The box is, in general, several mm in thickness but it may have a greater thickness according to cases.
The above-mentioned type of memory cartridge is manually inserted into or removed from the connectors on the side of the electronic equipment. However, in such insertion or removal of the memory cartridge, a large resistance is produced due to the fact that the number of the terminals is large and, therefore, a great force is necessary to insert or remove such memory cartridge.
To cope with this, according to the prior art, the memory cartridge must be projected out from the apparatus main body and there must be secured a finger hold in order to take the memory cartridge out of the apparatus main body. For this reason, the memory cartridge is easily touchable and there is the possibility of the memory cartridge being damaged.
Also, there has been conventionally known a memory cartridge unloading mechanism in which the entire memory cartridge is accommodated in the apparatus main body and leverage is used to remove the memory cartridge with ease.
Further, conventionally, as a device which is driven by a motor to carry a card-like member such as a cash card or the like, there is known a loading/unloading device which loads or unloads the card-like member by use of a friction force applied through a rotating rubber roller.
However, in the conventional, manually-operated memory cartridge unloading mechanism using leverage, there is a limit in reducing the operation loads thereof and, especially when such memory cartridge unloading mechanism is applied to a small-size, installation-type equipment, there is present a problem that the entire apparatus may be moved by an operational force necessary for loading/unloading of the memory cartridge.
Also, due to the fact that large loads are necessary when the memory cartridge is inserted into or removed from the connectors in the loading/unloading device using the friction force by the rubber roller or the like, it is very difficult to insert or remove the memory cartridge in a stable manner.
Further, there is possible a method in which by driving a motor a memory cartridge engagement member is moved to thereby mount a memory cartridge to a connector. However, in this method, it is necessary to guarantee that the memory cartridge can be mounted with accuracy.